Everyday
is an opportunity to have a fresh start. It doesn't matter what
happened yesterday. All that counts is today. When you wake up in the
morning, know that today is full of opportunities waiting to be grabbed.
It is a new day, a new start, the beginning of a new life awaits you.

We cannot start over again, but we can begin now and make a new ending.

Today is Easter Sunday.

Chasing the sun at Mines View Park, Baguio.

My morning visit to Mines View Park of Baguio City last October 2012 let chase the sun for a postcard-perfect photo set against the shadow of the ever popular pine trees of the city. Yet, whether chasing the sun or sunrise, morning is always an opportunity to make a fresh start and new beginning. This photo of Baguio reminds me that each day is a new beginning.

Baguio: In fresh start and new beginning is part of my Going Lenten
series. It started from my Instragram account where I share travel
inspiration thoughts and quotes with travel photos that can be reflected
upon and ponder about in this special season of Holy Week. Today's last share for Lent season is about fresh start and new beginning. Happy Easter everyone!

The tragedy of life is not death, but what we let die
inside us while we live. – Norman Cousins.

You don’t live once. You live everyday. You only die
once. We all die. The goal isn’t to live forever. The goal is to create
something that will.

Today is Black Saturday.

A river in Cabanatuan City while enroute to Baler, Aurora.

I captured this photo of a river while passing in Cabanatuan as we travel to Baler, Aurora last December of 2013. It's simple beauty caught my eye especially the interplay of dawn and sunrise colors in the sky set against the river. The dark colored river and
bluish dawn sky signifies the sadness and mourn of death yet promises
that everyday we live to make a fresh start and leave a forever mark in this world.

Cabanatuan: In death is part of my Going Lenten
series. It started from my Instragram account where I share travel
inspiration thoughts and quotes with travel photos that can be reflected
upon and ponder about in this special season of Holy Week. Today's
share is about death.

I'm doing a Going Lenten series this week. It started from my Instragram account where I share travel
inspiration thoughts and quotes without being too much religious tone with travel photos each day that can be reflected
upon and ponder about in this special season of Holy Week. It started last Thursday here in Going Places but I started sharing it since last Palm Sunday.

Here are other topic thoughts that I shared throughout the Holy Week that might help you reflect in life in this special season of April:

Palm Sunday is about Change.

People
hate change, or so I hear. But the change we generally resist is the
kind that we think will make our situation worse rather than better. We
eagerly change jobs when it means higher pay. We happily move to a
bigger house in a better neighborhood. So it's not change in general
that we hate; it's change that involves loss - sometimes physical; other
times emotional or psychological.

Change is both inevitable and
necessary. If everything stays the same, no one is growing.

Cowrie Island of Palawan: In
changes.

*I choose the coconut trees for the picture not only it is
related to palm tree but the coconut trees symbolizes a lot of changes
to it as grows older.

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Holy Monday is about Friends and Friendship.

Two
are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is
alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. -Ecclesiastes
4:9-10.

Friendship improves happiness and abates misery, by the doubling of our
joy and the dividing of our grief. Friends are important. Friends serve
as confidants, counselors and burden-sharers.

Puerto Galera, Oriental
Mindoro: In friends and friendship.

*I choose a photo of my first
out-of-town trip with my early group of friends from my hometown because
this photo shows a great bonding of friends and share of genuine
friendship.

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Holy Tuesday is about Respect.

Remember
not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more
difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.
-Benjamin Franklin.

Tolerance implies a respect for another person, not because he is wrong
or even because he is right, but because he is human. No greater honor
can come to any man than the respect of his colleagues. Be curious, not
judgmental.

Anilao, Mabini, Batangas: In Respect.

*Two bancas in equal footing shows the aspect of respect.

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Holy Wednesday is about Maturity.

Maturity
is not measured by age. It's an attitude built by experience.
The true mark of maturity is when somebody hurts you and you try to
understand their situation instead of trying to hurt them back.

Thai Orchids: In Maturity.

*Flower when they bloom from a bud signifies a change in the life stage of a plant just like when we reach maturity.

Sorry for being not updated quickly on travel stories. But soon I will
share a lot travel stories as I have been busy traveling this summer.
But for now, I hope I helped you reflect and think this Lenten Season upon reading my
Going Lenten series. I know most of you are on a trip this Holy Week for
Summer vacation but in case you stumble upon my blog, here are some
things that you can reflect while on travel. Enjoy the week everyone and happy travel whenever you are
right now!

Love is always
bestowed as a gift - freely, willingly, and without expectation. We don’t love
to be loved; we love to love. We come to love not by finding a perfect
person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.

Compassion is the greatest form of love humans have to
offer. Love is meant to heal and to renew. It is meant to bring us closer to
God. Love stands by each other on good days and stands even closer on bad days.

Today is Good Friday.

A lone strawberry at Strawberry Cafe, Sagada, Mountain Province.

During my trip to Sagada last 2012, my travelmates went to Strawberry Cafe for breakfast. Wondering, why is it called such cafe name when there is no strawberry around nor strawberry being served at their menu, I roamed around. And suddenly, I found strawberry plants in their garden with one of them has a lone heart-shape fruit dangling down from a stem that invites me to pick it up. But I refuse to. I just took a souvenir photo of it since it is my first and only time to see a strawberry in Sagada. Though Sagada's cool weather is suitable for strawberries, it's not really being focused for cultivation but more in Benguet and Baguio. That lone strawberry that made me wonder and awe in beauty of nature is just like love, a formidable force that changes you, transforms you and offer you joy than any material possesion could.

Sagada: In love and compassion is part of my Going Lenten series. It started from my Instragram account where I share travel
inspiration thoughts and quotes with travel photos that can be reflected
upon and ponder about in this special season of Holy Week. Today's
share is about love and compassion.

The greatest mistake
we make are the risks we didn't take. If you think something will make
you happy, go for it! So you won't live your life asking what if and
telling yourself if only...

In the end, we only regret the chances we didn't take. It's never too late for a second chance.

Today is Maundy Thursday.

Ave Maria Island, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras

Just like the boat that sails through the sea, it takes risks and chances to get to its destination. Just like in our life and in making decisions - We take risk. If you win, you'll be happy. If you lose, you'll be wise. We only regret the chances we didn't take. And it's never too late for a second chance.

Ave Maria Island is part of the island hopping itinerary in Nueva Valencia, Guimaras which starts in Alubihod Beach. Ave Maria Island is called by its name because of the Virgin Mary grotto like rock formation that can be found at the tip of the island. But aside from the unique rock formation, the island is beautifully surrounded by white sand beaches, clear waters, picturesque nearby islands, stunning seascape and lovely rock formations to wander about. More about my Guimaras triphere.

Guimaras: In taking risks and chances is part of my Going Lenten series. It started from my Instragram account where I share travel inspiration thoughts and quotes with travel photos that can be reflected upon and ponder about in this special season of Holy Week. Today's share is about taking risks and chances.

About Me

Ni Hao, Mabuhay and Aloha! I love going places since my first travel experience when I was 7 years old. It is no wonder that since then I keep on discovering and exploring places to travel. I also love writing. I started in writing school project essays but did not expect that from simple poems and essays, my passion for writing will emerge. Travel combined with my passion for writing is something I did not expect to be a great combination of a life-long passion. I like to share my travel experiences through writing. I love travel and places because travel is an experience of a lifetime!